Sadiron



May 6, 1941. o. HOLM-HANSEN SADIRON Filed Sept. 9, 1939 Invent or" m a aHim m o d t HAM 6 H m S H b Patented May 6, 1941 2,241,067 SADIRONOsmund Holm-Hansen, Stratford, Conn., assignor to General ElectricCompany, a corporation of New York Application September 9, 1939, SerialNo. 294,165

12 Claim.

This invention relates to sadirons, and it has for its object theprovision of an improved device of this character which is inexpensive,light in weight, compact, and clean and neat in its appearance, and alsoa sadiron which is highly efficient in its operation.

This invention is particularly applicable to electrically heatedsadirons, and in accordance with this invention in'one form thereof, theiron is provided with a glass sole plate. The glass sole plate is heatedby a resistance conductor mounted in heat-conducting relation with theplate, and preferably in a groove formed in the plate. Mounted over theresistance conductor are suitable heat barriers to prevent the radiationof heat upwardly, and to direct substantially all of the heat generateddown through the glass sole plate to its pressing surface. It ispreferable that at least one barrier be formed of a reflecting metallicfoil, and another above the foil be formed of a poor conductor of heat,such as asbestos.

Preferably, the iron will be provided with a detachable handle so thatthe handle may be removed to facilitate packing and handling of the ironfor shipment or travelling purposes.

In addition, improved connection means are provided for establishingelectrical connections between the resistance conductor and a supplycord. For this purpose, in one form of my invention, flexible terminalsare mounted within the iron and are electrically connected with theresistance conductor. Suitable contacts attached to a supply cord aremounted in the handle so that when the handle is attached to the iron,the contacts in the handle engage the flexible conis provided acontinuous groove 12, shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

Mounted within the groove [2 is a suitable helical resistance conductor[3 formed of any suitable material, such as nickel-chrome alloy. Mountedon the upper surface of the sole plate 10 so as to cover the groove I2is an electrically insulating sheet H formed of a suitable material,such as clear mica. Above this sheet I4 is a sheet of heat-reflectingfoil 15, preferably formed of aluminum. On top of this there is a thinsheet iii of thermally-insulating material, such as asbestos. Ifdesired, a second sheet (not shown) of aluminum foil may be placed ontop of the asbestos sheet, and over all is a rigid metal sheet ll whichmay be formed of any suitable material, but preferably will be formed ofstainless steel.

The terminal ends l3a of the resistance conductor l3 are threadedupwardly through electrically insulating spools 18 mounted in the rigidsheet l1. These terminal ends l3a are electrically connected withsuitable flexible contact terminal strips 19 which are mounted on asuit- 'able rigid terminal-supporting plate 20. The

plate 20 is provided at its opposite ends with outwardly-extending feetor tabs 2| which are secured to the rigid plate H in any suitablemanner, as by welding. The terminal ends l3a are secured to the terminalstrips IS in any suitable manner, as by welding, and these ends, as wellas the terminals, are secured to an insulating block 22, formed of anysuitable material,

tacts to establish the electrical connections for the resistanceconductor.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should behad to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is an elevation mainlyin section illustrating an electricallyheated fiatiron embodying thisinvention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the iron with the cover removed; andFig. 3 is a plan view of the sole plate of the iron.

Referring to the drawing, this invention ha been shown in one form asapplied to an electrically heated fiatiron having a sole plate l0 formedof glass. The sole plate III will be made of a suitable glass resistantto thermal shocks,

such as the glass-known as Pyrex." The sole 3 plate Ii on its lower sidehas a smooth plane pressing surface H, while in its upper side theresuch .as a phenol condensation product. This block 22 and the terminalstrips IS with the terminal ends I3a secured to them are rigidly securedto the terminal plate 20 by means of screws 23 directed throughinsulating bushings 23a so as to electrically insulate the screws fromthe terminals l9 and terminal ends 13a.

The sheets l4, l5, and 16, the rigid plate l1, and the terminal plate 20are rigidly secured to the sole plate to by means of a screw fasteningdevice 24. This device 24 is directed through a rigid metallic plate 25formed of any suitable material, such as stainless steel, and has itshead bearing against the underside of this plate 25, as shown;preferably, and as shown, the plate 25 ,will be provided with adepression 25a that receives the head of the screw member 24. The soleplate It is provided with a relatively large aperture 26 therethroughthrough which the screw member 24 extends and in'the lower end of thisopening there is provided a shoulder 21 which forms an abutment for theplate 25. A

asbestos. is mounted on top of the plate II and separates this platefrom the glass sole plate It,

as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The screw fastening member 24 is threadedinto a nut 29 rigidly secured to the upper surface of the terminal platea. The nut ll may be secured to the plate II in any suitable manner asby welding. Preferably, a spacer ll surrounding the screw member 2| willbe interposed between the rigid plate I! and the terminal plate ll. andwill be rigidly secured to the plate I! in any suitable manner, as bywelding.'

A cover ii is provided which houses the sheets ll, I, and II, the rigidplate H, the terminal plate II and the terminals It. The cover issecured to the screw-fastening device 24 by means of a screw I2 directedthrough the cover and received in threaded relation with the member I4.as shown. The cover may be formed of any suitable material. butpreferably will be made of stainless steel. and preferably the coverwill be lined on the inside with sheets of asbestos and aluminum foil(not shown).

A suitable handle II is provided which, as shown. is of curved tubularform. The handle is detachably secured to the cover Ii by means of anelongated tongue I! which is secured at its forward end to the handle,as shown. The tongue extends rearwardly from the handle to the rear ofthe cover where it is received within a retaining socket II mounted onthe upper surface of the cover. At the forward end, the handle issecured by means of a spring latch l'l having a detent ll received in anaperture I! provided for it in the forward end of the cover. The latchis provided with a finger piece 40 which maybe moved outwardly towardthe left, as viewed in Pig. 1. to withdraw the detent ll and therebyrelease the handle which may be removed by moving it to the left towithdraw the right-hand end of the tongue 38 from the socket I. Thehandle is attached by inserting the right-hand end of the tongue in thesocket and then springing the detent ll into the hole I! at the finish.

Entering the tubular handle is a twin supply conductor M. This conductorextends through" the handle and has its two supply conductors llaelectrically connected with a pair of terminals 41. The terminals I! areof pin-like form and have apertures therein which receive the conductingwires ll of the conductors la. The wires ll are electrically andmechanically connected with the terminals 42 in any suitable manner, asby soldering. The terminals 42 are threaded through a pair of spacedapertures provided for them in an insulating block 44, which is formedof any suitable electrically insulating material, such as porcelain. Theblock 44 has a section inserted in the tubular handle, as shown, and itis secured by means of a transverse pin ll directed through the walls ofthe handle and through the insulator. The terminal; 42 are provided withenlarged heads ll which as shown are received in enlarged openings inthe insulator. The heads I! engaging the insulator prevent movement ofthe terminals upwardly through the handle 38.

Means are provided for causing the terminals 2 to electrically engagethe flexible terminal members I! when the handle is applied to thecover, as shown in Fig. 1. For this purpose, the flexible terminalmembers ll carry upright pins II at their movable ends and these pinsproject upwardly through apertures 48 provided for them in the cover ofthe iron under the handle. The

9,241,067 suitable yielding sheet 2|, preferably formed .of

pins are spaced apart the same distance as the two terminal members 42so that when the bandle is applied the pins automatically engage theterminal members 42 and are depressed by them, the resiliency of thecontacts ll biasing the pins into firm electrical and mechanical contactwith the terminals 42.

The aperture 26 in the sole plate, as shown, is made much larger than isnecessary for the passage of the screw-fastening device 24. Thisaperture is thus made relatively large because I have found that itrelieves substantially all strains in the glass sole plate that might beset up due to heating and cooling, and thereby prevents any cracking ofthe glass.

. In the operation of this iron, it will be understood that if theconductor ll be connected with an electrical supply source and thehandle a be in its operative position, the resistance conductor II willbe energized and will generate heat to heat the sole plate ill. Themajor portion of the energy generated is radiated to the ironing surfaceii. the heat barrier includh'ig the reflecting sheet of foil II and theasbestos sheet ll causing substantially all the radiations generated tobe directed downwardly through the sole plate to its pressing surface.Some of the heat generated is transmitted by conduction through theglass sole plate it, which has a high specific heat. The glass willtransmit the short wave radiations, and as a result the flatiron may beused practically the moment that it is energized. In other words, thematerials to be ironed will be heated by radiant energy. This is, ofcourse, an important advantage because it is unnecessary to wait untilthe iron plate is heated up by conduction The glass sole plate ID has arelatively high specific heat as compared with its weight and thus aheating body is provided which will store' a considerable amount of heatbut yet it is light in weight.

An additional advantage of the sole plate II is that it iselectrically-insulating in itself. and, therefore, no additionalelectrically-insulating means is necessary to insulate the resistanceconductor it.

A further important feature of this invention is that the iron is cleanand heat in appearance; and in addition the user can see theincandescent resistance conductor through the sole plate and can thusperceive. at once whether or not the iron is energized.

A further feature of this invention is the provision of thereadily-removable handle 33. This facilitates packing the iron forshipment and facilitates packing the iron for travelling purp ses.

Also, an important feature is the provision of the means forautomatically eti'ectlng an electrical connection between the resistanceconductor i3 and the supply cord II when the handle I! is attached tothe iron.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will beunderstood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto sincemany modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by theappended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

, 1. A light-weight pressing device comprising a sole plate formed ofglass having a pressing surface, an electrical heating element mountedin. direct thermal contact with said sole plate above said pressingsurface, a heat reflecting member above said heating element fordirecting the major portion of the heat generated thereby to thematerial being pressed by said pressing surface by radiation throughsaid glass sole plate, and said glass sole plate also conducting heatdirectly from said heat generating element through said sole plate tosaid material.

2. An electric pressing device comprising a pressing member formed ofglass having a pressing surface and an open-topped groove above saidsurface, a resistance conductor mounted in said groove, anelectrically-insulating sheet covering said groove, a heat-reflectingsheet covering said insulating sheet, a rigid supporting plate mountedabove said reflecting sheet. and terminals for said resistance conductormounted on said rigid plate.

3. A sadiron comprising a sole plate formed of glass having an aperturetherethrough to relieve heat strains in the sole plate.

4. An ,electric pressing device comprising i a pressing member formed ofglass having a pressing surface and an open-topped groove above saidsurface, a resistance conductor mounted in said groove, anelectrically-insulating sheet covering said groove, a heat-reflectingsheet covering said insulating sheet, said pressing member having anaperture therethrough, and means directed through said aperture forclamping said insulating and reflecting sheets to said pressing member.

5. A sadiron comprising a glass sole plate having an open groove in itsupper surface, a resistance conductor in said open groove, a plateclosing said groove and electrically-insulated from said conductor,insulating spools in said plate through which the terminal ends of saidresistance conductor are threaded, and terminals mounted on said plateelectrically connected to said terminal ends.

6. An electric sadiron comprising a sole plate, a resistance conductorfor said sole plate having a pair of flexible terminals, a removablehandle for said sole plate, and a pair of electrical supply contactsmounted on said handle and adapted to contact said flexible terminalswhen said handle is applied to said iron.

7. A sadiron comprising a glass sole plate having a resistance conductormounted therein, a rigid plate above said sole plate carryingterminalsfor said resistance conductors, said sole plate a resistanceconductor for heating said sole plate having a pair of flexibleterminals, a cover for said sole plate housing said flexible terminals,said terminals carrying pins that project through apertures provided forthem in said cover, a handle, means detachably mounting said handle tosaid cover, and a pair of supply contacts in said handle abutting theends of said pins when said handle is attached to said cover in itsoperative position.

9. A sadiron comprising a glass sole plate having an open groove in itsupper side, a resistance conductor in said groove, a rigid plate oversaid groove, electrically-insulating and heat-reflecting sheetsseparating said rigid plate from said sole plate, means including amember directed through said sole plate rigidly securing said sheets andrigid plate to said sole plate, flexible contact members mounted on saidrigid plate, a cover for said iron housing said sheets, rigid plate andcontact members. said flexible contact members carrying pins thatproject through apertures provided for them in said cover, a handle,means detachably mounting said handle to-said cover, and a pair ofsupply contacts in said handle abutting the ends of said pins when saidhandle is attached to said cover in its operative position.

10. An electric sadiron comprising a. sole plate, a resistance conductorfor heating said sole plate having a pair of terminals, a cover for saidiron housing said terminals, a handle, means detacha'bly connecting saidhandle with said cover, and supply contacts in said handle operative toengage said terminals when said handle is attached to said cover.

11. An electric pressing device comprising a pressing member formed ofglass having a pressing surface and an open-topped groove above saidsurface, a resistance conductor mounted in said groove, a rigid metallicsupporting plate mounted above said groove, means electricallyinsulating said plate from said resistance conductor, and terminals forsaid resistance conductor mounted on said supporting plate.

12. An electric pressing device comprising a pressing member formed ofglass having a pressing surface, a resistance conductor mounted on saidglass member, an electrically insulating member and a heat reflectingmember covering said resistance conductor, said glass pressing memberhaving an aperture therethrough, and means directed through saidaperture for clamping said insulating and reflecting members to saidpressing member.

OSMUND HOIM-HANSEN.

